infants; asthma; environmental air pollution; genetic; lung function; lung development; large nested project; SAPALIDA Cohort on Healthy Aging
Petrus Nicole C. M., Thamrin Cindy, Fuchs Oliver, Frey Urs (2015), Accuracy of Tidal Breathing Measurement of Floright Compared to an Ultrasonic Flowmeter in Infants, in
PEDIATRIC PULMONOLOGY, 50(4), 380-388.
Mika Moana, Mack Ines, Korten Insa, Qi Weihong, Aebi Suzanne, Frey Urs, Latzin Philipp, Hilty Markus (2015), Dynamics of the nasal microbiota in infancy: A prospective cohort study, in
JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY, 135(4), 905-905.
Mueller Loretta, Mack Ines, Tapparel Caroline, Kaiser Laurent, Alves Marco P., Kieninger Elisabeth, Frey Urs, Regamey Nicolas, Latzin Philipp (2015), HUMAN RHINOVIRUS TYPES AND ASSOCIATION WITH RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS DURING THE FIRST YEAR OF LIFE, in
PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASE JOURNAL, 34(8), 907-909.
Schmidt Anne, Yammine Sophie, Proietti Elena, Frey Urs, Latzin Philipp, Riedel Thomas, Singer Florian (2015), Validation of multiple-breath washout equipment for infants and young children, in
PEDIATRIC PULMONOLOGY, 50(6), 607-614.
Singer Florian, Abbas Chiara, Yammine Sophie, Casaulta Carmen, Frey Urs, Latzin Philipp (2014), Abnormal Small Airways Function in Children With Mild Asthma, in
CHEST, 145(3), 492-499.
Proietti Elena, Riedel Thomas, Fuchs Oliver, Pramana Isabelle, Singer Florian, Schmidt Anne, Kuehni Claudia, Latzin Philipp, Frey Urs (2014), Can infant lung function predict respiratory morbidity during the first year of life in preterm infants?, in
EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY JOURNAL, 43(6), 1642-1651.
Schulzke Sven M., Frey Urs (2014), Lung clearance index: should we really go back to nitrogen washout?, in
EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY JOURNAL, 43(2), 656-657.
Singer Florian, Yammine Sophie, Schmidt Anne, Proietti Elena, Kieninger Elisabeth, Barben Juerg, Casaulta Carmen, Regamey Nicolas, Gustafsson Per, Frey Urs, Latzin Philipp (2014), Ventilatory Response to Nitrogen Multiple-Breath Washout in Infants, in
PEDIATRIC PULMONOLOGY, 49(4), 342-347.
Fouzas Sotirios, Haecki Christoph, Latzin Philipp, Proietti Elena, Schulzke Sven, Frey Urs, Delgado-Eckert Edgar (2014), Volumetric Capnography in Infants with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia, in
JOURNAL OF PEDIATRICS, 164(2), 283-283.
Singer Florian, Stern Georgette, Thamrin Cindy, Thamrin Cindy, Abbas Chiara, Casaulta Carmen, Frey Urs, Frey Urs, Latzin Philipp (2013), A new double-tracer gas single-breath washout to assess early cystic fibrosis lung disease, in
European Respiratory Journal, 41(2), 339-345.
Stern Georgette, Latzin Philipp, Roeoesli Martin, Fuchs Oliver, Proietti Elena, Kuehni Claudia, Frey Urs (2013), A Prospective Study of the Impact of Air Pollution on Respiratory Symptoms and Infections in Infants, in
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF RESPIRATORY AND CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE, 187(12), 1341-1348.
Stern Georgette, Stern Georgette, Latzin Philipp, Röösli Martin, Fuchs Oliver, Fuchs Oliver, Proietti Elena, Proietti Elena, Kuehni Claudia, Frey Urs (2013), A prospective study of the impact of air pollution on respiratory symptoms and infections in infants, in
American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 187(12), 1341-1348.
Proietti Elena, Proietti Elena, Röösli Martin, Röösli Martin, Frey Urs, Latzin Philipp (2013), Air pollution during pregnancy and neonatal outcome: A review, in
Journal of Aerosol Medicine and Pulmonary Drug Delivery, 26(1), 9-23.
Schulzke Sven M., Frey Urs (2013), Consensus statement on inert gas washout measurement: at the threshold of clinical use, in
European Respiratory Journal, 41(3), 500-502.
Kieninger Elisabeth, Yammine Sophie, Proietti Elena, Casaulta Carmen, Regamey Nicolas, Frey Urs, Latzin Philipp (2013), Normal lung function in infants with cystic fibrosis shortly after birth, in
EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY JOURNAL, 42(2), 2-3.
Larsen Pernille Stemann, Kamper-Jørgensen Mads, Adamson Ashley, Barros Henrique, Bonde Jens Peter, Brescianini Sonia, Brophy Sinead, Casas Maribel, Casas Maribel, Casas Maribel, Devereux Graham, Eggesbø Merete, Fantini Maria Pia, Frey Urs, Frey Urs, Gehring Ulrike, Grazuleviciene Regina, Henriksen Tine Brink, Hertz-Picciotto Irva, Heude Barbara, Hryhorczuk Daniel O., Inskip Hazel, Jaddoe Vincent W V, Lawlor Debbie A., Ludvigsson Johnny (2013), Pregnancy and birth cohort resources in Europe: A large opportunity for aetiological child health research, in
Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology, 27(4), 393-414.
Kieninger Elisabeth, Fuchs Oliver, Fuchs Oliver, Latzin Philipp, Frey Urs, Regamey Nicolas (2013), Rhinovirus infections in infancy and early childhood, in
European Respiratory Journal, 41(2), 443-452.
Fuchs Oliver, Fuchs Oliver, Latzin Philipp, Latzin Philipp, Kuehni Claudia E., Frey Urs, Frey Urs (2012), Cohort profile: The Bern Infant Lung Development cohort, in
International Journal of Epidemiology, 41(2), 366-376.
Fuchs Oliver, Latzin Philipp, Singer Florian, Petrus Nicole, Proietti Elena, Kieninger Elisabeth, Casaulta Carmen, Frey Urs (2012), Comparison of online single-breath vs. online multiple-breath exhaled nitric oxide in school-age children, in
Pediatric Research, 71(5), 605-611.
Singer Florian, Kieninger Elisabeth, Abbas Chiara, Yammine Sophie, Fuchs Oliver, Fuchs Oliver, Proietti Elena, Proietti Elena, Regamey Nicolas, Casaulta Carmen, Frey Urs, Latzin Philipp (2012), Practicability of nitrogen multiple-breath washout measurements in a pediatric cystic fibrosis outpatient setting, in
Pediatric Pulmonology, 48(8), 739-746.
Background: This is a direct continuation of the ongoing prospective birth cohort BILD (SNF 124564), which investigated the impact of environmental factors on lung growth and development and subsequent consequences for later respiratory morbidity in early childhood. Since the cohort itself is extremely data-rich, the general aims have not been changed for the current project phase, but are instead more focused. The recruitment areas have also been extended from a single study centre (Bern) to a two-centre cohort (Bern and Basel), with identical equipment and standard operating procedures. The motivation for the study is the fact that the high prevalence of wheezing disorders and asthma in infants and preschool children has become a major health issue. Wheezing disorders can occur as a result of simple viral infections and are mostly episodic and transient in nature. However, they may occur recurrently and be an expression of disturbed fetal growth or lung development, or the consequence of early allergic bronchial asthma. While genetic risk factors such as parental atopy (allergy) play an important role, environmental factors such as tobacco exposure, Western lifestyle or air pollution are also known risk factors for wheezing disorders in children. The hypothesis - that different mechanisms may be responsible for the impairment of lung growth to those for the impairment of the immune, allergic or inflammatory system - has been recently reinforced by several longitudinal studies. These show that this loss of lung function tracks throughout life, and impaired lung function at a young age is related to chronic respiratory morbidity in old age. Evidence that air pollution impairs lung growth has recently been demonstrated in school children, but until now there has been no evidence regarding how air pollution affects lung function in infants and preschoolers. In project phase 124654, we improved our pre- and postnatal exposure modelling to air pollution of all infants using a spatial land use regression model combined with the assessment of temporal variations of pollutant exposure during pregnancy and early infancy. We have shown for the first time that prenatal exposure to particulate matter air pollution affects lung function after birth in a particularly significant manner, suggesting a specific vulnerability of fetuses and infants to pollutants. Furthermore, we found elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in cord blood of exposed infants and environmental effects on components of innate immunity. Aims: Now we are continuing to investigate whether air pollution during pregnancy and early infancy is correlated with functional lung growth and subsequent asthma in preschool age. We are especially interested in whether there is a genetic susceptibility of certain infants and whether particularly vulnerable phases during lung development can be identified based on the current exposure model. Methods: In this prospective birth cohort of unselected healthy term infants and preterm infants we: estimate indoor and outdoor air pollution exposure during pregnancy and in early infancy; assess family, obstetric and birth history; measure immunological factors and known target genes in cord blood (known polymorphism in target genes of lung growth and asthma); assess weekly respiratory symptoms by telephone interview; and determine viral samples in the first lower respiratory tract infection in the first year of life. We then follow these children to school age where we again determine lung functional measures (primary outcomes) as well as standardised respiratory outcomes and immunological factors related to asthma and allergy (secondary outcomes). Significance: The consequence of today’s air pollution on fetal lung development has an unknown, but potentially very relevant, impact on global respiratory health in the future, with unpredictable costs. If genetic and physiological mechanisms that lead to impaired lung growth at this early vulnerable phase of lung development are better understood, we will be better able to identify infants at risk and to develop environmental, preventative, and therapeutic strategies for infants and children.